June 1, 2004

Gospel Assembly Church (NYC) members gather to mourn death of senior church members Thelma Shakespeare, Royston Williams and Margarita Henry, who died in car crash while on volunteer trip to Canada; photo (M)

Article on senior thesis written by Princeton student Katherine Milkman which used mathematical models to analyze fiction printed in New Yorker magazine; thesis, based on 442 short stories printed from October 5, 1992, to September 17, 2001, concluded that male editors generally publish male authors who write about male characters who are supported by female characters; main inquiry was how change from Charles McGrath to Bill Buford as head of fiction department affected stories published in magazine; photos; graph (M)

Los Angeles Lakers defeat Minnesota Timberwolves, 96-90, to win Western Conference finals, 4-2, and advance to NBA finals; photos (M)

High prices at gasoline pumps in Denver, Colo, are beginning to take toll; many families, particularly working-class and poor ones, face tough and sometimes humiliating prospect of doing without things they once took for granted, from simple vacations to doctors' appointments; choices facing people in Denver hint at what could happen to broader economy if fuel prices stay high or go on rising; increases would have economic effects much like new, regressive tax that falls particularly hard on those with lowest incomes; few in energy industry foresaw how strong demand would be this year, with Chinese and American economies in particular using more than expected; most oil-producing nations are pumping flat out; Saudi Arabia, only nation with substantial spare capacity, has said it will step up output and called on fellow OPEC members to increase their production quotas; OPEC's leadership and several members initially resisted; subject will be at top of agenda when group meets in Beirut this week; photo (M)

Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal adds to fears of hundreds of Iraqi families, possibly thousands, searching for missing loved ones; American military is taking steps to improve access to information for families of arrested Iraqis; families of prisoners and groups that work with them see some improvement, but say problem is far from resolved; Red Cross report written last Feb to American-led occupation authorities stated that system for notifying families of prisoners effectively did not exist and that relatives often learned where prisoner was housed from other prisoners who had been released; steps to improve notification system began in Jan, after military started its own investigation of abuses at Abu Ghraib; one official says central databank now posts names of detainees within month, and that wait to see loved ones has shortened under policy begun in Apr; military has also begun thinning out population of severely overcrowded Abu Ghraib prison; photos (M)